"Samurai Clothing help?" Topic

Hi yet another Samurai question I'm afraid but hoping the TMP genius can offer some advice, Samurai clothing just how colourful was it in reality?. Did the various grades of Samurai have such a comparable issue as the GFeudal laws in Europe limiting colour usage and colour in cloth? Reason I ask is looking at the various illustrations by the likes of Hook and Mcbride both noted illustrators you see a huge range of colour in individual subjects. In contrast, films such as The Last Samurai which was noted for its efforts in costume etc, you see a much more muted range of colours.

Angus Mcbride

link

The last Samurai

In last Samurai, the Sahimono and Nobori are visually striking in their use of colour but the actual clothing worn by the Samurai is far more plainer than I would normally associate with illustrations in most books I would assume were correct. However looking at modern comparisons, originating from Samurai culture, Kendo costume and armour is equally sombre, which is correct?

While I don't have an answer for you, cultures are not static. Even conservative, tradition-bound ones such as Edo-period Japan change over time. So it is possible that the Angus McBride are accurate for the Heian period/Genpei War and Last Samurai is accurate for post-Boshin War. That's a time difference of roughly 800 years.

Now I have the Osprey book you've linked to, among others Mr McBride illustrated, and I've assumed the attire was correct for the respective period(s). However, I've nothing for the Boshin War.

I'd just chalk it up to artistic license. I remember one saying that they all wore colorful socks except for red, and all wore colorful clothes.
However, buying for a movie, the buyers bought the easiest to get or care for, and also for continuity. If you wash the same color costume after scene 1, there is no problem redressing correctly for scene 2. Nothing worse than our "Hero" charging in a blue shirt, only to duel with his enemy in a blue one.

If you look at contemporary sources from the 15th-16th century, they show much more colour in the clothes when they depict battle scenes. Tons of green, red, yellow and blue. Richer warriors would have more splendid clothes than poorer warriors.

The Edo period saw the introduction of social restrictions of clothing, such as "Samurai Blue" being a thing. Movies such as The Last Samurai is also probably trying to show the characters as very "masculine", and wearing baby blue silk coats with golden embroidery is probably something that they didn't think would resonate with modern day viewers.

E: for example, this give a very stark contrast to the Last Samurai screenshot you posted:

I'm just wondering if our idea of Samurai costume is influenced by later trends in colour and richness of fabric etc being foisted on by 19 Cent collectors onwards in an OTT approach. Certainly looking at issues such as architecture, utensils etc, a strictly deeply functional rationalised simplistic approach perdominates in almost every social aspect, except costume it would appear.

Saying that, Last Samurai and clips I have seen of films such as Zetoichi and 13 Assasins, the muted colours do seem to work visually. I guess at the end of the day, as ever it's your hobby and you can go whichever way you wish. I was just wondering if there was a general opinion on this. Thanks for the reply Hamster.

There's an art book titled "Hokusai" that shows woodcuts and prints of people going about their daily business. I've used this book as a resource to vary the patterns of fabric in my Samurai armies.

There are others, this one just comes immediately to mind.

I may even have an extra copy.

Best,

Don

Here is a link from the Japanese Costume Museum that I find very useful for my painting. It shows clothing both by era and status. You can also find a link to hundreds of fabric swatches too.

iz2.or.jp/english/index.htm

A good resource is "The Samurai Recreated in Colour Photographs" by Mitsuo Kure and Ghislaine Kruitt.

Very nice photos of samurai from various periods.
You can still get it: link

Another book by Mitsuo Kure is "Samurai: Arms, Armor, Costume"
link

In reconstructions of Sengoku Period warriors, the clothing is portrayed as sometimes patterned, sometimes not. Ashigaru are shown with fairly uniform and bland shades like grey, while Samurai either has patterned or plain clothes but the color contrasts are not too garish. Something like dark blue with light blue patterning for example. Sometimes the pattern appears to be a mon, but often just dots or similar.
In the case of armor it appears that black lacquer was by far the most popular, but also red, brown, and 'oxidized'(the surface of the armor was allowed to mildly rust to create a reddish brown color). Fancy multi-colored laced armor was usually reserved for senior officers. In most reconstructions in the book the lacing is black, but other colors are possible, though I recall reading somewhere that certain combinations were considered bad luck.

I have a copy (somewhere) of Kure's Samurai Arms, Armor, Costume.

The early periods are pretty colorful, then you slowly see a reduction in colors up until contact with Europeans, then it gets weird again. Women tended to have much more colorful kimonos, but after European contact some men began wearing the more colorful women's kimonos (among other things). Colors settled back down during the Edo period when Japan closed the borders, and got crazy again in the 1850s up through the 1870s, when Japan really westernized.

I also have a reproduction of a Shinsengumi haori, baby blue with white dags. And the character for "faithful" (like the Marine's Semper Fidelis) on the back in white. Very striking, and really comfortable to wear when it's hot.

Many thanks guys for some excellent input and a great insight, looks like brighter colours were the order of the day and yes I agree Last Emperor probably dd follow the colour choice route for artistic reasons, still oove the look of the film though.

I will be going for a more subdued look for the ikki samurai reflecting their lower status, and using a brighter contrasting pallette for the more powerful opposing clans. Will post pics and any further info as research progresses. Once again thanks to all

Last Samurai? I remember Billy Connoly and a rather attractive woman – thats about it.

There is also a Wikipedia article on traditional Japanese colors:

link

Ron

Again thanks to all as well as the excellent recommendations, yet again TMP proves it's outstanding worth. Ok so the consesus seems to be on bright colours are go. Seem to remember a guide a while back on painting landskernechts that whilst renowned for a multitude of garish cloth combinations, simple colour combinations actually looks better on the table.

Will follow this concept on limiting colour choices per clan unit, certainly going for a simpler pallette with the Ikki. Looks like i'm heading to the Perry's at Salute!

Cheers all